Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. / Spencer Platt, Getty

by Peter Wilson and Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY

by Peter Wilson and Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Joyful supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez crowded outside a military hospital in the capital Monday after the cancer-stricken leader's surprise return from Cuba where he had undergone a fourth operation more than two months ago.

Chávez arrived at Caracas International Airport at 2:30 a.m. and was immediately whisked to the heavily guarded Carlos Arvelo hospital. Soldiers patrolled the streets leading to the hospital, and were manning checkpoints at the entrance to the complex.

"We have arrived again to Venezuela," Chávez tweeted upon arrival. "Thank God. Thanks to my beloved country." His arrival was kept secret, and wasn't televised.

State television subsequently reported that Chávez had walked into the hospital and hadn't relied on a gurney or wheelchair. The claim couldn't be independently verified.

Outside the hospital in central Caracas, hundreds of red-shirted Chávez supporters danced and chanted with joy at Chávez's arrival.

"We love the president; he is the nation," shouted one woman wearing a T-shirt with Chávez´s likeness as the state television showed people crowding near the hospital´s entrance. "Our Comandante (leader) is our protection against the opposition, against capitalism."

The state television station called on the president's partisans to gather and express their support at Plaza Bolivar. Thousands heeded the call and celebrated Chávez's arrival, singing, dancing and shouting pro-government slogans. Celebrations broke out in major cities throughout the country.

Information Minister Ernesto Villegas embraced the TV station´s personnel as he announced the arrival on the early morning news program. The station ran repeated headlines all morning: "He´s returned. He´s returned. He´s returned."

Chávez, who spent two months and seven days in Cuba, said he would continue his treatment for cancer at the hospital. He thanked the Cuban people, Cuban President Raul Castro and his brother, former president Fidel Castro, in his tweets.

On Friday, Venezuelan officials gave the first proof that Chávez was still alive after two months of silence from the president. They released photographs showing the 58-year-old with two of his daughters at his hospital bed in Havana.

The images, which were broadcast on state television, show him reading the Communist party newspaper Granma. The paper's date can be seen: Feb. 14, 2013.

Chávez's secret arrival immediately spurred a number of jokes, including one that likened him to Santa Claus. "He arrives in the middle of the night, and everyone believes in him without proof," said one tweet.

Chávez has never said what kind of cancer he is fighting nor what the long-term prognosis is. His cancer was first discovered in June 2011. During the presidential campaign last year, he repeatedly claimed to be cancer-free.

He won re-election with 55% of the vote for a term that ends in 2019. However, Chávez has yet to be sworn in for this term, which began Jan. 10. Some analysts had speculated that Chávez, who has been in power since 1999, would resign if and when he returned to the country.

"I wouldn't count on Chávez for resigning for two reasons," said Vanessa Neumann, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. "He likes his power and fosters his 'historic role' too much to give it up.

"And those around him know they will have a much harder time hanging on to power without him and his cult following. For them, the best scenario is to keep him in power even though he's ineffective. That way they can all carry on with their business as usual."

Vice President Nicolas Maduro said that details of Chávez's health would be released later today. Chávez, who has often criticized the U.S. for many of his country´s ills, anointed Maduro as his heir apparent on Dec. 8.

"The battle continues and El Comandante is in the country," Maduro said in a phone call to the state television station, which was broadcast over and over again.

Opposition leader Henrique Capriles Radonski, who is governor of Miranda state and was beaten by Chávez in the October presidential vote, welcomed the president in a tweet: "Hopefully this means that Mr. Maduro and the ministers will go to work.There are thousands of problems to resolve."

Chávez´s arrival coincides with growing criticism of the government´s decision last week to devalue the currency by 46% to 6.3 bolivars to the dollar. It was previously 4.3 bolivars to the dollar.

Although Maduro and others said the devaluation wouldn't spur inflation, prices have gone up as merchants have moved to adjust their costs accordingly. Venezuela´s inflation rate is expected to top 25% this. It has consistently had the region´s highest inflation rate due to government overspending.

The devaluation also pushed the black market rate to 23.5 bolivars to the dollar. Under Venezuela´s exchange rate system, a government agency allocates the U.S. currency to Venezuelans depending on what they plan to use the money for.

Non-essential imports are a low priority so many merchants have no choice but to access the black market rate to buy goods. Venezuela imports about 80% of the products it consumes

The country´s opposition had no immediate response to Chávez´s return but many said it didn't matter that much.

"I woke up this morning to the news that Chávez returned but I couldn't watch it on the television as the power went out again," said Roberto Nuñez, a computer technician in the central city of La Victoria. "Chavistas say that the president is their light of their life. I would just prefer to have electricity."